


Wren and Oni: a Warring Clans Era Story

by Foodmoon



Series: Oddball fics [38]
Category: Naruto
Genre: A/B/O, Conditionally dark characters, Do not share for profit, Hagoromo have a kekkai genkai, M/M, May possibly get darker at some points, Other, Plot? What Plot?, Probable fluff invasions, References to rape/dubcon, Ridiculous amounts of worldbuilding, These people really aren't nice folks, Warring Clans Era morals, Warring Clans era politics, Warring States Period (Naruto), mentions of death and murder, mentions of torture, wing fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-08-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:55:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25414300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Foodmoon/pseuds/Foodmoon
Summary: In the constantly shifting clan alliances and wars of the Warring Clans Era, the definition of 'enemy' can blur in a hurry. Amane Hagoromo most definitely isn't expecting to be rescued from torture and almost certain death by a feared enemy of his clan. Mashiro Senju just wants to piss his Clan head off and take care of some bloodline hunters as a bonus.
Relationships: Amane Hagoromo/Mashiro Senju
Series: Oddball fics [38]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/938265
Comments: 32
Kudos: 43





	1. Oni finds a Wren, who is properly terrified of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I had a passing thought about the Hagoromo and how as allies of the Uchiha they'd likely have been one of the first clans to join Konoha. So then I looked up the Hagaromo Clan. And lo, "Hagoromo" 羽衣 means Angel’s raiment/wings/plumage. After which I wondered if they had a kekkai genkai of any sort and wouldn't wings suit their clan name? Then things snowballed, snips were written (see Scraps, chp 23), and ended up with a Warring Clans a few generations pre-canon anything. Enjoy? Feedback is welcome. And yes, the writing style flops around.
> 
> Alpha- the secondary gender which impregnates. Usually male, with a few rare females.  
> Omega- the secondary gender which can be impregnated. Usually female, with a smattering of males. More omega males exist than alpha females for physiological reasons.  
> Beta- someone who has not and may or may not express a secondary gender.
> 
> **Hagoromo Clan notes:**
> 
> Kuu and U for names given to stillborn children or those who die before the end of their second year. All Hagoromo names have wing, feather, flight, soar, expand or some other kanji that can be construed to have something to do with wings or flying in them.  
>  Children 4 and under who die are all ritually burned with feathers from parents and other close relatives. Most of those older prefer the same, though they may choose to have their feathers removed and preserved/used before burning occurs if they should happen to die with their kekkai genkai active. Shinobi carry feathers of loved ones with them, so they can be burned with them in case of death in battle. Ashes scattered on the wind, though the clan has a plot where they scatter them for those brought back or who die at home. Ashes can be scattered where they fell or brought back to be scattered at home if body scrolls aren't available.  
>  Burning the bodies and taking the feathers is less religious than practical, given as there are those who would dig up buried bodies in search of feathers.  
>  Most of them don't use their kekkai genkai to fight, because it makes them a target for those who covet their feathers, beyond the usual 'let's kill this enemy' targeting.  
>  Coming home accidentally pregnant isn’t a worry for omegas _(mostly women)_. The clan welcomes outside blood in such a manner, because it’s hard to find trustworthy outsiders to marry in. They have strict rules regarding inbreeding; originally they were clued in by children being born with deformed wings which freaked them the hell out.  
>  The feathers are tough enough to be sewn into armor as a particularly resilient layer. Though more so with adults’ feathers, less so with children’s feathers. Hagoromo wings don’t correspond pattern-wise to real birds, but many of their colorations are reminiscent of certain birds. They shed and regrow feathers just like real birds. Their kekkai genkai is a yang transformation that leverages against wind to be useful and uses extremely short ranged, wind based sensing, so almost the entire clan is born with yang and wind affinities. Because of the peculiar type of sensing naturally utilized by their wings, natural born sensors are extremely rare and usually due to a first generation infusion of outside blood.  
>  The wing holes in the back of their armor _(and often their daily wear)_ are covered by a short cape of feathers that acts as armor when the wings aren't materialized and scrunches to fall between the wings when they are extant, possibly weighted so it falls straight again once the wings are dematerialized.

Amane Hagoromo resists the temptation of giving in and using his kekkai genkai. In truth, the chakra seals and his bonds are not strong enough to hold him should he do so, but it’s a lie. They _want_ him to use his kekkai genkai to break out. Recapturing him would be simple enough. Not only has he been held in an awkward kneeling position for months on end, they’ve carved thin slices into the length of his arm and leg muscles. Even if he got free, he would not get far. They haven’t crippled him, though whether that’s to encourage false hope to lure him into using his kekkai genkai or because they have another use for him once they do, he cannot say. No, he can walk without much issue, but by now the damage and scar tissue have built up enough that he’ll never be an even halfway decent shinobi again. There’s ways around that, but he doesn’t have the chakra control necessary to do it. And that’s not even counting the traps they’ve doubtless set for him.

Eventually they’ll get tired of trying to trick him into using his wings and just kill him, but that’s better than having his wings cut off to sell to a noble or some other with enough money to massage their ego in such a false manner. Or having his wings stripped of feathers, used as a renewable resource to provide armor materials. Hagoromo feathers are soft and flexible, but they have unique properties. A layer of feathers sewn over leather armor gives it the toughness of steel armor.

Such armor is highly prized and brings high enough prices that he was absolutely unsurprised when they stripped him and the corpses of the rest of his four-man squad of their armor first thing. All Hagoromo armor is so equipped and they only rarely sell feathers outside the clan, usually one or two at a time. Even slightly damaged, the profit from those alone is undoubtedly enough to feed a small village for a year or two.

That doesn’t even count his nii-san’s gorgeous blue wings, which they have most likely cut off and sold to be mounted by a collector. His two cousins had been luckier, able to undo their transformation before death caught them.

He smirks feebly. Even if they _should_ manage to trick him into using his wings via one of their crappy genjutsus _(which they won’t, because Amane is not stupid, thank you very much)_ , his wings will do them no good if they’re looking to sell them to a collector. Unlike Kirato’s Stellar-Jay-blue wings, his are dull greys and browns without even a pattern to salvage them, managing to look similar in coloration to a rained-on pile of dry weeds.

An explosion- _far away, across the enemy compound, still closer than is should be unless the clan is under attack_ \- has him jerking his head up. Nerves build in his throat, making it hard to breathe. As terrible as this clan is, they’ve at least stuck to relatively mild measures in pursuit of their goal. This could be a rescue, unlikely as that is, or it could be another party who will take advantage of his helplessness and treat him far worse to get what they want out of him. Or it could be another one of their genjutsus, this one more creative than any of the others so far. It’s hard to tell, these days. He’s seen ‘rescue’ from his clan’s allies, the Uchiha, at least 17 times _(so he’s kept track, so what? not like he has anything better to do)_ , each time subtly ‘off’ from how the Uchiha would _really_ behave in such a situation. If an Uchiha bursts in, it’s probably best to assume it’s a genjutsu at this point.

Best case scenario is another party wiping out the clan and somehow not discovering they are keeping a captive. Then he can get loose and take his time dismantling any traps and start making his way home.

A couple hours later, the compound is filled with silence. The fight is over, though whether in the defenders’ or the attackers’ favor, he can hardly say.

Light footsteps have him tensing and then someone enters the room, looking around curiously. Someone _familiar_ , unfortunately. That’s a _well-known_ Senju face. No one else has that straight, stark white ankle–length hair contrasting with sun-dark skin. _Fuck!_ It is one thing to know abstractly that he’ll die and another thing entirely to be facing his death directly.

Mashiro Senju finishes looking around, then looks right at him. The friendly expression in those doe-brown eyes framed by white hair is downright terrifying. It’s said that the man is always at his most pleasant when slaughtering foes by the dozens. Amane has no doubts that the clan who captured him is thoroughly dead. The White Oni is not known for any sort of mercy.

Amane stamps down on the overwhelming urge to break free and take his chances. He’s dead either way, no need to give his enemy an extra bonus.

Apparently his expression amuses Mashiro, because the man chuckles and walks over to him at a leisurely pace. “Mmn, I was told the Ito clan caught themselves a little bird. I wonder if you’re really a Hagoromo? Show me your feathers, little bird.”

The coaxing tone makes him shiver. “Did you really think that would work?”

“No?” Mashiro reaches out and lifts Amane’s chin with his fingers. Then pushes a twist of chakra into Amane. “How about this?”

He curses as his wings burst into existence of their own accord, more than a little horrified that there’s someone who has figured out how to activate the Hagoromo kekkai genkai against their will. Amane jerks back in terrified reflex, out of Mashiro’s hold and back a few steps before his injured muscles catch up with him and he collapses, shivering in pain and trying not to throw up.

“Come now, little bird. I’m not going to hurt you.” Mashiro crouches near him and pulls his wings out straight, slicing off the flight feathers with a wind blade, leaving Amane grounded even if he _could_ move.

Frankly, he’d be impressed if he wasn’t so busy trying not to whimper like a scared, beaten puppy. It takes quite a lot to cut through a Hagoromo feather that cleanly.

“Hm. They roughed you up quite badly, didn’t they, little bird?” The Senju observes, then absolutely floors him by reaching for his legs with hands glowing green with healing chakra, mending the raw cuts and soothing the existing scar tissue from previous cuts. When he’s finished with Amane’s legs, he moves his attention to his likewise abused arms and heals them as well. Astonishment doesn’t quite cover the level of taken aback Amane is at his actions. “Can’t have my pet so poorly taken care of, now can I?”

Amane just stares at him, at a loss for words.

Mashiro scoops him up and carries him out of the compound before setting him down and handing him the amputated feathers. “You need to burn those to mourn your dead, do you not?”

“I- Yes. Thank you.” He acknowledges, dazed. Doubtless the feathers his squadron had carried on them are long gone for profit, along with his brother’s wings, so this is probably the best he can accord them. It is a kind gesture indeed for the White Oni. Habit carries him through the small fire jutsu and the prayers required to ensure they find the Pure Lands with ease. When he’s done, he looks to Mashiro, at a loss for what to do next.

The Senju smiles in apparent approval and scoops him up again, carrying him to whatever destination he has in mind. Which, it seems, is the Senju compound. Something which probably shouldn’t surprise him, but does anyways. Having so many Senju stare at him in interest is downright unnerving. The two clans have never been on friendly terms. If he thought it would do him any good at all, he’d put his wings away.

~

Mashiro is not a nice person. Everyone is aware of this. Even his clanmates are wary of rousing his temper. He’s certainly not above thrashing them if they irritate him. On the battlefield, he has little care for who he cuts down. Man, woman, child, alpha, omega, beta, it’s all the same to him. Enemies are enemies and one less means one fewer trying to kill his clan.

It’s a combination of his Clan head’s strong _suggestion_ that he find a marriage partner or end up in an arranged marriage and unutterable boredom that prompts him to follow up on the rumors of a Hagoromo squad gone missing and a set of blue wings being sold on the black market for a frankly nauseating price. If nothing else, it doesn’t hurt his feelings one bit to decimate a clan that traffics in kekkai genkai and body parts. At worst, the Hagoromo squad will all be dead and he won’t have a new play toy after all. At best, the other three _(the one missing their wings is extremely unlikely to have survived)_ will still be alive and he’ll have multiple toys.

That said, he is not expecting a solution to the _suggestion_ that he find an omega. In general, omegas are encouraged to stick to less dangerous missions and if he finds any of them alive, they’ll most likely be betas or alphas. If nothing else, it’s a good way to annoy his Clan head and remind him that _forcing_ Mashiro to do anything is generally fraught with the possibility of unorthodox retaliation.

In all honesty, he is a bit surprised to find one of the Hagoromo still alive and relatively intact. _Relatively_. The room is tainted with the smell of dried blood and stress. The look of sheer terror and resignation in the captive’s eyes when he (presumably) recognizes Mashiro is oddly endearing, but it isn’t until he’s close enough to force the man’s wings out that he realizes the captive is an omega. A moment later the omega is whimpering on the floor and he can see the livid cuts and fading scars that run the length of his arms and legs. At least it saves him the trouble of figuring out how to free him from his bonds without harming him, but… _They’ve crippled him_. Fortunately, Mashiro is a decent healer and it is a simple matter to clip the wren-like wings so that he doesn’t get any bright ideas about escaping.

His little bird is startlingly calm in his reactions, despite his obvious terror, which Mashiro finds pleasing. It’s a whim that has him offering to let his little bird mourn properly, though as much because he’s not entirely sure what he’d do with feathers that are cut in half. Most likely he _could_ find a use for them, but the gratitude and new neutrality of expression is worth the gesture.

Smiling at his curious clan members and watching a good half of them blanch in return is amusing. No one will dare lay a hand on his new toy.

Still, Mashiro is not a nice man. He will do whatever it takes to force his little wren to bond to him. Both to prevent future escape attempts and to thwart his Clan head. If that means proving that he will not abide any resistance, sexual or otherwise, well, that won’t hurt his feelings at all. In fact, he finds the idea rather intriguing.

~

Amane finds life among the Senju simpler than he had supposed. Apparently they are too afraid of Mashiro’s temper to risk even laying a hand on Amane. If a few of them give him up and down scornful looks and don’t deign to speak to him, well, it’s far less hostility than he expected.

He’s shown how to do the chores required of him and trusted to do them without constant supervision or suspicion that he’ll run away. Which is…something. Something what, he doesn’t know. Because Mashiro’s healing of his injuries has been thorough enough that he can now move around and do his duties very well, could even perhaps go back to being a ninja in a limited fashion.

Granted, as an omega forcibly bonded to an alpha of an enemy clan, that’s hardly an option for him, nor would he want to. He never wants to face the possibility of facing his own clan on the battlefield, a traitor for all that he has no choice in the matter.

It is true that he could reject the bond if he tried hard enough, but he had been pressed into making the bond two-way, making that difficult at best. Finding that much spite against the bond is a lost cause.

While it is true that he is expected to service Mashiro’s personal needs and that he’s not entirely on board with some of it, his alpha has never hurt him, in fact handles him as carefully as if he is in truth the ‘little bird’ that he refers to him as. No more is demanded of him than any normal spouse could expect, though his consent is a tad less regarded. Even the clipping of his flight feathers was painless. Amane has no defense if the man decides to cut off his wings or pluck him clean of feathers, but the feared White Oni has shown no interest in doing so.

He can’t, really can’t, bring himself to dislike Mashiro.

As much as he’d love to say otherwise, the man does not deserve his personal spite. Not when he has both spared his life and avenged Amane’s brother and cousins by way of freeing him in the manner he had. Not when he had _healed_ him thoroughly, let him mourn his dead properly, and then proceeded to help him through the heat that the stress of captivity and mild torture had delayed _before_ making him his omega. Not when the two way bond gives him legal status as his _spouse_ , rather than simply a concubine/slave. Not when he _forces_ his clan to treat Amane humanely, without needing to say a word.

Amane is not blind to the streak of sadism Mashiro has (he _enjoys_ Amane’s fear of him though he does nothing to promote it in any way), nor to the apparent fact that a goodly portion of his reasoning for bonding to Amane is simply to piss off his Clan head. He certainly is not unaware of Mashiro’s probable reaction should he attempt to escape and return to his clan.

Not that he intends to; his probable chances of success are extremely low and he does not wish to lose his alpha’s gentleness towards him. Uncomfortably, he is also aware that Mashiro’s actions towards him, _not kindly intended but easily confused with such_ , have left him with a borderline case of hero worship towards him.

Not to mention that Mashiro’s legal claim on him now is stronger than that of his birth clan. Simply rescuing him had given him equal claim, while the bond itself supersedes both claims on its own merits. Even if he should by some wild and inexplicable chance manage to return safely to his birth clan, he would never be able to step out of the shadow of the clan compound again for fear of some other clan choosing to curry favor with the Senju by ‘returning’ the bonded omega of one of their top warriors. _(Few things hold consistent value among the constantly shifting alliances and skirmishes of clans, but the legality of the bond connecting alpha and omega is considered sacrosanct, one of the few things that could cause a clan to lose all of its allies should it not be honored.)_ Assuming, of course, that Mashiro didn’t decide to retrieve him in person, which is the more likely _(and far bloodier)_ scenario.

“Why do you have those out? Are you mocking the clan?”

Amane blinks up from where he’s sitting on the engawa, lost in his ruminations and shelling peas, to find the Senju Clan head standing over him with a disapproving expression. “No, I- My alpha hasn’t said it’s okay to put them away?”

“And you require your alpha’s permission for everything?” Akirima Senju asks with open suspicion.

 _Well, he’d be suspicious of him too_. “When my alpha is the White Oni? Yes, I think so.”

Akirima snorts. “Even Mashiro has to listen to his Clan head’s orders. Put those things away.”

He obeys, because it’s a valid point and a direct order. It’s not like Mashiro can’t countermand the order if he doesn’t like it, and Amane is _fairly_ sure he won’t hurt him for obeying his Clan head. Said Clan head hmmphs and stalks off, apparently miffed to be obeyed, which makes no sense unless he _wanted_ an excuse to punish Amane, which… _okay, he probably had_. The Hagoromo and the Senju aren’t exactly on friendly terms at the best of times, but it’s been downright hostile the past few years. Depending on his clan’s reaction once they find out who he’s bonded to, that could improve a fair bit or get notably worse. There’s too many factors to hazard a guess at which it will be, unfortunately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amane (雨 (ama) meaning "rain", 羽 (ne) meaning "feathers") (pronounced Ah-may hah-nay)- Grey and brown feathers, rather plain. Male. Omega _._ Has a slightly warped sense of humor, particularly when under duress. His mother is an alpha female, his father an omega male. Gets teary heats. Will literally bawl his way through them unless an alpha holds him and even then pretty much sniffles through them. His brother Kirato usually did this for him.
> 
> Kirato (輝 (kira) meaning "brightness; luster; brilliance; radiance; splendor", 翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly")- Shiny blue feathers. Amane’s older brother. Alpha. Deceased.
> 
> Mashiro Senju (“pure white”)- An alpha. Normally a rather grumpy type and a complete and utter bastard if annoyed, when he’s smiling and acting friendly is a really good time to surrender or run the fuck away before he notices you exist. Imagine, if you will, a Hashirama-type kind smile on someone skillfully and viciously slicing through dozens of enemies. He has straight, stark white, ankle-length hair with contrasting dark skin and doe-brown eyes. Resembles a sharper featured Hashirama, or a cross between Tobirama and Hashirama, despite being only distant cousins _(a few generations before the brothers)_. He is not a part of the main family, despite matching them in strengths.  
> Has ridiculously large chakra stores and equally ridiculous chakra control. Known for his speed, devastating wind jutsus and his lack of mercy on the battlefield and called the White Oni by those outside his clan. Enemy ninjas have been occasionally known to faint or run away when they find themselves facing him. The fainting usually amuses him enough to leave them be, but he has a strong chase reflex, which means that running is a slightly worse decision than facing him. Only the fastest and the luckiest get away from him. He sometimes gets himself in trouble by way of letting himself be baited this way. He also despises facing fire users, because it’s the weak point of wind. His chakra control is learned due to needing to offset his elemental disadvantage against the Uchiha. As a result, Uchihas and a few other fire-based clans are about as enthusiastic at facing him as he is at facing them: _‘too much effort involved’_.  
> Does not have a summons and cannot use sage mode. A relatively skilled healer and a sensor with a range of roughly about a mile radius, which he can extend to about three miles with the use of wind if needed, though it’s a much rougher version of his natural sensory skills once past his normal range _(i.e. he won’t notice people who are sheltered out of the general airflow)_. Preferred weapon is a short staff, which contributes to his moniker ‘white oni’. Despite his superior chakra control with his elemental affinity, the only nature transformations he can use are two water jutsus, the larger of which he has terrible control over and inevitably manages to drench himself with when he uses it in combat, which makes him about as displeased as a finicky cat.  
> Absolutely gives no shits about any survivors of the slaughtered clan, children or otherwise, though he didn’t bother hunting them all down. He killed all the ninjas in the clan, however. The clan remnants end up going entirely civilian in self-defense.  
>   
>  _(Technically this is a character from "Tales of Zestiria" and the hair's way too short, but the coloration and facial features are stunningly accurate and the expressions are pretty much Mashiro has when he's not being scary.)_
> 
> Akirima Senju- Current Clan head of the Senju. Gets a little tetchy at Mashiro’s temperament at times. Particularly since kicking his ass for disobedience is a lot harder than he thinks it should be. More than a little tetchy at the ‘enemy omega’ Mashiro brought home.
> 
> Ito was just the only last name I could think of while writing, so if someone has a better idea for the name of the clan that kidnaps Amane's squadron I'm open to suggestions.


	2. Reverberations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Several outside povs and dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaisho/Kaito ( _海_ _(kai)_ meaning "sea, ocean", _翔_ _(to)_ meaning "soar, fly") Hagoromo - Amane’s mother. Female alpha. Married/bonded to Shouya. Vivid dark blue wings, similar to that of her oldest (deceased) son, Kirato. A fairly high ranking ninja within her clan and rather badass, but not to OP levels of it.
> 
> Shouya (翔 (shou) meaning "soar, fly", 夜 (ya) meaning "night") Hagoromo - Amane’s father. Male omega. A traditional, stay at home omega. He was a competent ninja before he expressed late, bonded to Kaisho and retired. Has very dark soot brown wings with sharply defined bands of black.
> 
> Kirato (輝 (kira) meaning "brightness; luster; brilliance; radiance; splendor", 翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly") Hagoromo - Shiny blue feathers reminiscent of a Stellar Jay in coloration. Amane’s older brother. Alpha. Deceased.
> 
>   
> 
> 
> **Note:** Seriously, folks. If you have ideas for this or want to see other characters or clans, let me know. I will probably do some actual research into the real life Warring States period at some point for inspiration, but I don't want it to become a straight up reflection of historical politics.

Kaisho Hagoromo looks around the abandoned Ito clan compound, lips tight. The Ito clan had been strong enough that taking them on was beyond the Hagoromo short of full out war. Only in the Ito clan’s sudden absence has she been allowed to bring a double squad to come search, but _someone_ certainly had taken them unawares.

There is far less blood through most of the complex than one would expect from such a venture, though sprays of brain matter here and there mean it’s likely due to the intruder preferring a blunt force weapon. As well, there are places where entire rooms have suffered damage attributable to wind jutsus and blood has been spilled thickly enough that it’s still tacky in places. Most of the Ito clan had died within the halls and rooms of their own home. So many that the few who had remained had made a massive pyre for their dead instead of burying them in the clan graveyard, before taking the things they could carry and scurrying off elsewhere. The thing that gives her the creeps, though, is that all evidence points to a _single_ invader and there are very, very few in the world with that level of skill.

“Kaisho taicho, we found where they buried them. Disgusting heathens.” He says in an offended tone, as if _burying_ the dead instead of _burning_ them is worse than the actual murder of their clanmates.

 _She was afraid of that_. “All of them?”

Shieru shakes his head. “No. We found bodies wearing remains of outfits that match that of Kirato, Naito and Hinami.”

“Then Amane?” She’d already known her eldest was dead. No one can survive having their wings removed and they had word that his wings had surfaced on the black market. But her youngest, her baby boy, she had _hoped_ … Losing both her children at the same time is not a grief a parent should have to bear.

“I don’t know. We haven’t found a trace of him yet.”

“Taicho, taicho!” Yano yells, running out of a building in the far corner of the compound, with Yuuya following at a more restrained pace. When he reaches them, he holds out a grey-brown feather about 4 inches in length, obviously one shed naturally, most likely the small one that had been making Amane itch before he left. “It looks like he broke free on his own, but there are traces of bloody footsteps so we think the intruder probably took him.”

That was… _bad_.

If Amane has been taken with his wings still out, there’s every likelihood that _his_ wings will be surfacing on the black market in the next few weeks. Or if not that, his feathers will start showing up on some clan’s armor. She honestly prefers the latter, terrible though that may be to hope her child is being plucked like a chicken. If he’s alive, then at least there’s some hope of negotiating his release. If he’s alive, she doesn’t have to tell Shouya that both their precious chicks are dead and watch him mourn himself into the grave.

~

Souma Senju watches his father stalk up to Mashiro’s Hagoromo, only to have to wait as the man apparently doesn’t notice him. When he loses his patience and speaks, the man looks more uncertain than frightened of him. Even when his father says something and he puts his wings away, his expression is more humoring than chagrined. Which makes his father storm away in thwarted spite.

He pities his father a little for the failure, though Souma thinks he should have known better than to try in the first place. It’s quite obvious that the omega fears no one in the clan _more_ than Mashiro and has little to no room left for fearing anyone else, at least since he’s figured out that they’re not going to risk Mashiro’s temper by laying hands on him. And while his father is one of the very few people in the clan who _would_ risk that with impunity, there’s the little matter of hating to have to prove that he can beat Mashiro into the ground and make him comply with his orders. Not _just_ because it offends his sense of dignity, but because Mashiro makes it entirely too hard for him to do so.

Mashiro’s parents and grandparents are nothing special; he’s just one of those now and then geniuses that the Senju clan pops out. _Most_ of them pop up in the head family or those very closely related to them, because that’s the strongest bloodline, but it’s not _always_ the case.

Honestly, Souma’s _glad_ Mashiro isn’t part of the main family, because then he’d be ridiculously strong and the man has a bloodthirsty temper even on a good day. Besides, it does the main family good to have a rival to keep them on their toes (himself included) and at least Mashiro’s temperament has the upside of the man having _no intention_ of getting stuck in a political leadership position. He likes fighting entirely too much to bother learning how to lead. His choice of omega only reflects this determination.

Souma’s fairly certain that his father is more upset over losing the chance to force Mashiro into a politically beneficial marriage than he is by the fact that the omega is a Hagoromo, a clan decidedly at odds with the Senju right now. It’s blindingly obvious to everyone that the Hagoromo’s fear of Mashiro is only matched by his gratitude towards him and lifting a hand against Mashiro would never occur to him.

There _is_ one thing bothering Souma about him, though. So he walks up to the omega and asks politely _(because he’s certain politeness will get him further, since everything points to the omega being as traditional as Mashiro is untraditional)_ , “May I ask your name?”

The Hagoromo tilts his head in open puzzlement and curiosity. “Amane Senju. Why do you ask?”

He clears his throat a little, a bit taken aback at both the reply and the question. “Souma Senju. And because Mashiro just refers to you as ‘little wren’ or ‘little bird’ and no one else seems to know your name.”

“Ah.” Amane looks oddly sheepish. “No one’s asked before, including him, so I guess they wouldn’t know. I’m not naturally gregarious like my older brother…was.” His voice cracks as he remembers to add the word and he looks away for a moment. “Um. Is there something else you wanted from me?”

Souma shakes his head, feeling a bit sorry for having inadvertently stirred up the man’s grief. “No, I was just curious. Though I will add it to the clan records.”

Amane nods, then giving him a wary look, returns to shelling peas.

 _Well, it’s not like he had more business here anyways_. So he walks away, looking to find Mashiro and punch him. _Who the hell makes a two way bond with an omega without learning their name first, anyway?_

~

Oto burns one of her own feathers along with the others being burned as Kirato’s ashes are scattered and wonders if it’s more or less cruel to his parents that his younger brother is apparently still alive, but still beyond their reach. If not knowing and having that frail hope is worse than being able to mourn properly. Not that she begrudges them the hope, she likes the younger omega quite a bit herself and wishes him the best, just… She wonders.

She can afford the hope. But she’s not sure _they_ can. Because when it proves false, what’s left of their world will come crashing down irretrievably, and she’s not sure they have enough else to live for to recover from that. Biting her lip in self-directed irritation, she refocuses on the mourning ceremony for Kirato and her other cousins. Pondering the bitter dilemmas of others is just a way to avoid her own grief and she knows it too well. A vicious cramp in her stomach makes her shift uncomfortably, then a gush of liquid down her legs makes her look down in startlement, baffled to see her pants soaked through and visibly tinged with blood. _What the-?_

At the same time, a ringing in her ears starts up and she wonders why everything is going dark.

Oto wakes up screaming, thinking she’s being raped or something until suddenly something slides free from between her legs and she realizes that her crotch is _way_ too wet for it to be something sex related and shoves up on one elbow to peer down. She blinks to find the clan mid-wife holding a bloody newborn.

“What?”

The mid-wife, Ichika, pulls something out of the babe’s mouth and it draws in a gasping breath before letting out a thin wail. She looks up with a dry expression. “You should have told someone you were pregnant _before_ giving birth. In general, it’s recommended to have regular checkups to make sure both mother and child are up to proper weight and to go off duty a couple months into the pregnancy to prevent spontaneous abortions. But I suppose you didn’t know that.”

_That- What? She-?_

“Um. I actually didn’t know I was pregnant. So that…that’s mine?”

“She. And yes. She’s a healthy baby girl, if a bit small and underweight. It’s lucky you fainted in public so I knew to help you, though you could have picked a better time than the funeral. But new beginnings and all that, I suppose.”

“I…” She’s _never_ going to live this down, is she? But… “I think Kirato would have loved that. Seeing his baby girl born as he left for the Pure Lands.”

Ichika snorts and wipes the baby off a bit before handing her to Oto. “I suppose he would. Unfasten your top and let her nurse. I’m going to go let both your parents and his in.”

Oto squawks and hurriedly scrabbles at her wrap top. _How long can newborns go without feeding without starving to death, anyways?_ Fuck. She is _not prepared_ for this!

~

“Amane.”

Amane startles and drops the pot of potatoes. Though fortunately only about two inches, so it only splashes a bit. He turns and blinks at his alpha and the red mark on his cheek that resembles a fist. “Yes?”

“Mmn. Nothing. Souma pointed out that I should use your name when I speak to you.”

“Oh.” _Well, that explains the fist mark_. “He didn’t have to hit you. I could have said something about it if I minded.” He’s _fairly_ certain that Mashiro would comply if he just asked nicely to be called by name, but he actually doesn’t mind the diminutives. At least he knows Mashiro is speaking _to_ him and not _at_ him when he uses them.

Mashiro’s lips quirk in a wry smile. “I’ll keep that in mind, then. What’s for dinner, little wren?”

“Venison gravy over peas and potatoes.”

This gains him a raised eyebrow in response, but Mashiro has yet to actually _complain_ about any of his meals, so he’ll take it as being acceptable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oto (桜 (o) meaning "cherry blossom", 翔 (to) meaning "soar, fly") Hagoromo – Kirato’s fiancée. Female omega. Pink wings. Shoulder length brown hair with the occasional pink strand mixed in. An active ninja, who had not planned to retire until after her marriage. Did not realize she was pregnant until she was giving birth.
> 
> Yuua (杏 (yu) meaning "apricot", 羽 (u) meaning "feathers", 明 (a) meaning "bright, light") Hagoromo – Kirato’s and Oto’s daughter, Amane’s niece. She has apricot colored feathers and light brown hair. Born during the funeral for her father and two of his squad mates.
> 
> Ichika (依 (i) meaning "rely on, be set in", 智 (chi) meaning "knowledge, wisdom", 翔 (ka) meaning "soar, glide") Hagoromo – Hagoromo clan mid-wife. Female omega. Extremely blunt by nature and certainly not above letting others know directly that they’ve been foolish.
> 
> Amane (雨 (ama) meaning "rain", 羽 (ne) meaning "feathers") (pronounced Ah-may hah-nay) Hagoromo-Senju - Grey and brown feathers without a distinct pattern, rather plain, coloration is somewhat similar to that of a wren. Male. Omega _._ Has a slightly warped sense of humor, particularly when under duress. His mother is an alpha female, his father an omega male. Gets teary heats. Will literally bawl his way through them unless an alpha holds him and even then pretty much sniffles through them. His brother Kirato usually did this for him in the past, now Mashiro does so. Has a Yang and a Wind affinity, due to his kekkai genkai (wings). A quite competent ninja before his captivity and injuries, specialized in taijutsu and archery, though competent with kunai and a lot of lower level ninjutsus.
> 
> Mashiro (真 (ma) meaning "true, reality", 白 (shiro) meaning "white") Senju – An alpha. He has straight, stark white, ankle-length hair with contrasting dark skin and doe-brown eyes and resembles a sharper featured Hashirama. Rather grumpy default personality, when he’s smiling is a good time to run or back down. Rather OP character, on a similar level to that of the main family of the Senju, known for his speed and ruthlessness on the battlefield and carries the moniker ‘the White Oni’. Has a mild sadistic streak.  
> His affinity is Wind and he has a fair amount of trouble with any other nature transformation. He is a sensor with a natural range of about a mile, which he can extend with the use of wind chakra to about 3 miles, but which is much less precise past his natural range. He has very large chakra stores and almost eerie chakra control/precision for the amount of chakra he has, having trained it by way of learning medical jutsus to give him an edge against the Uchiha, since Wind’s weakness is Fire. As a result, he is also a fairly high level medic, though he only does the occasional emergency field healing, since his front line presence is more valuable to the clan on a general basis. Uses a short staff, but is also competent with kenjutsu and taijutsu, more because of his speed and strength than any great skill with them though.
> 
> Souma Senju- second son of the Clan head. A people observer and not above taking amusement at the expense of others.
> 
> Names in general are less socially divided to ‘male vs female’ because secondary genders can make nonsense of that division.
> 
> Funeral habits vary between clans. Some clans burn their dead, others bury them, while others yet do some mixture of both. There are also clans that do…other things. Some creepier than others.
> 
> Grief and giving birth are always a weird mix. And yes, I do know someone who literally had no idea she was pregnant until she was in labor. It’s not common, but it happens a little more often with folks who are very fit, because the strong stomach muscles can kind of squish the kid instead of stretching to give a pregnancy belly. It’s not uncommon for such children to be born smaller than normal or underweight, though it seems to have no effect on some of them.
> 
> Different clans have different dietary habits. Sometimes for religious reasons, sometimes because certain foods don’t really agree with them that much. The Senju and Hagoromo have actually fairly similar diet ingredients, but the dishes they create with them tend to be quite different. Basically, Mashiro’s been on a steady diet of _‘and what’s this?’_ since he let Amane take over the cooking. Fortunately, he finds it more interesting than intimidating.
> 
> Hagoromo children tend to manifest their wings for the first time some time within the first four months of life.


	3. Communication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Markets and letters and gifts. Basically Mashiro startles various parties and is a little surprised himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> スリザー Surizā (Entirely wiped out by Kumonosu.) - ‘Slither’ clan. Kekkai genkai- _Skin produces a mucus that can have varying traumatic effects on foes._  
>  クモの巣 Kumonosu (Mostly wiped out by Surizā, finished off by a pissed off clan allied to the Surizā.) – ‘Spiderweb’ clan. Kekkai genkai- _Can produce webs to attack/bind their enemies. Some can also produce webs that create a hallucinogenic drug if processed into powder. Others have the ability to give themselves fangs and have a venomous bite_.

Kaisho walks along with other clan members who have come to the market to shop, pausing now and then at interesting stalls and listening idly to the rampant rumors of the Kumonosu and the Surizā clans having wiped each other out in a grudge feud over something minor. It couldn’t have happened to nicer people in her opinion; better the two creepy clans have wiped each other out than someone else having to tangle with them. _Fucking spiderwebs and acidic goo!_ Though admittedly, the rumor about the feud being over a silk handkerchief from a donkey’s-ass-ugly noble’s daughter is the funniest. And rather miserably, the most likely to be true, given that she’s _seen_ what those clans considered ‘beauties’.

The rumors don’t really hold her attention, though. There are a lot of distractions here. Civilian markets tend to hold a lot more variety than individual clans see coming by way of traders who will risk the trip. In exchange, the clans count the civilian markets as truly neutral ground, where fights between even mortal enemies are forbidden. Of course, places _without_ thriving markets have a lot less protection against shinobi fights, but well. Less value means less protection.

The thing is, something feels _off_ about the marketplace today and she can’t figure out why. It’s like someone is watching her, but no one has approached and she can’t sense any bloodlust. Except from that civilian merchant a couple stalls over whose shinobi customer is attempting fruitlessly to bargain him down well below market price, but really, _that’s_ understandable and certainly nothing _she_ needs to worry about.

The answer to her tingling 6th sense drops down in front of her in a welter of long white hair, causing both her and her clanmates to freeze warily.

Mashiro Senju stands in front of her, regarding her narrowly. “Kaisho?”

“Yes.” She agrees after a short, wary pause.

One part of her brain informs her that _he_ has the skills to commit the massacre they’d seen at the Ito compound. It also notes he’s not wearing his infamous sweet smile that means he’s in a deadly mood. She blinks and realizes that he’s dropped down from a permanent awning made with heavy bamboo poles, explaining why she hadn’t spotted her watcher at ground level or roof level.

He apparently decides that she’s not going to attack and holds out a missive to her, the motion drawing her eye to the pendant, a feather with a thin braid of white and brown hair twisting around it in a precise pattern, which he’s wearing.

She takes the missive, then pauses and nods at the pendant, “Do you know what that means?”

“I assume it’s something along the lines of temporary neutral party designation.” He replies, voice pleasantly deep, but with an edge of disinterest.

“Hm.” She opens the letter.

_“Dear mother,  
I regret to inform you that Kirato, Naito and Hinami have passed on to the Pure Lands and I was not able to retrieve their bodies. However, Mashiro Senju rescued and healed me and aided me in properly mourning them and with a large enough squad you may be able to overcome what remnants of the Ito clan survive to retrieve the bodies for proper burning.  
Much as I wish I could see you, that will not be possible. Mashiro has granted me a proper two-way bond and I am now legally his omega. It is not such a bad bargain as you may be fearing. He treats me with consideration, doesn’t dislike my cooking, and does not allow others to treat me badly. Nor does he pluck my feathers. Which I could not prevent him from doing if he wished, as he has figured out how to forcibly activate our kekkai genkai.  
He has agreed to carry this letter to you and to not permanently maim or kill you and those with you. I assume he will find you away from clan grounds, where there is less danger in approaching you. Please let father know I am well. And if you can, please send a spare grooming kit back with my alpha. The grooming and crafting kits I carried are long gone, as are any weapons and clan made clothing, most likely sold as trophies.  
Amane Senju-Hagoromo.”_

Kaisho rereads the letter, considering carefully, then looks the White Oni in the eye. “Have you read this?”

Mashiro frowns. “No. Though he did say you might send something back to him. If you need time to gather it, I will find you again tomorrow.”

She inclines her head. “I would appreciate the time, as I wish to send a letter in return. Tell me though. How badly was he injured?”

His eyes narrow, then he tilts his head slightly, obviously deciding that an answer is no loss to him. “They had crippled him. He is well now, but the scarring is too heavy for him to do much beyond civilian duties. There are the occasional bouts of clumsiness and weakness, but only time will lessen those.”

“I see. Thank you.”

He shrugs and disappears in a swirl of leaves.

One of her clan members blows out a shuddering breath and asks faintly, “Did we just face down the White Oni and survive?”

Kaisho chuckles involuntarily, though she feels much the same. “I don’t think a mail delivery counts as ‘facing him down’. Apparently _he_ is the one who went through the Ito clan and took Amane with him.”

“A Senju rescuing a Hagoromo?” Another clanmate asks dubiously.

“You saw the pendant.” She says harshly. That particular style of pendant is _only_ given to willing mates. The missive is only iteration and elaboration. “His reasons are not ours to ask as long as Amane is well treated. This may be our only chance to communicate with Amane, so in the meanwhile, help me gather things to send back to him. He only _requested_ my spare grooming kit, but indicated that he would appreciate a crafting kit and other items if feasible.”

~

Koyuki Uchiha is handing over money for a particularly nice bolt of silk cloth when Mashiro Senju wanders up, takes one look at it and says, “I want to buy that.”

“No. I’ve already paid for it.” His wife will enjoy the delicately done red feathers on a dark blue background.

Mashiro smiles.

It’s a sweet smile. Unfortunately guaranteed to be anything but sweet if one knows anything at all about the malicious bastard. “Don’t give me your scary face. We both know I can take you in a fight.”

The smile drops into a faint pout. A pout that is, well… _not_ adorable because that implies affection, but definitely amusing. And most likely occurring because Koyuki’s words are true and because the market is no place to fight in the first place.

He puts the bolt of cloth in a storage scroll before asking, “Why do you want it, anyways?”

Mashiro gives him a grumpy look, then shrugs. “My omega is a Hagoromo. I thought he might like it.”

Koyuki blinks. That’s unexpected. “I’m surprised they’re on good enough terms with your clan to allow it.”

This gains only another shrug. “They’re not. The Ito had him.”

 _And the Ito clan had been decimated recently, according to rumor_. “He must be quite something if you’re going out of your way to spoil him like this.”

Mashiro looks blankly puzzled at this. “I’m not.”

 _Okaaay?_ Senju are weird. Particularly this one. “You’re buying him silk just because he might like it, though?”

“Yes. And?”

Koyuki gives up. He gestures vaguely. “Well, there’s another silk stand over that way, if you want.”

If the Senju looks distinctly ungrateful for this information, well, that’s just a bonus. At least his wife will laugh over the incident and he has information for his Clan head that will need to be checked out. Depending on which family the Hagoromo omega is from, this may change their approach to the Senju. And how much the Uchiha can count on them as allies.

Behind him, he hears the silk seller say, “I don’t have the same color, but I have another of the same design.”

 _Ah, well. So much for being petty._ And he can’t say he’s really surprised that the vendor lied to him when he’d asked if there were more bolts of the same cloth. It’s probably a popular design and it would be bad for her business if she sold it all out to one customer. _At least it’s not the same color. And the red and blue are distinctly Uchiha colors._

~

Mashiro is unsurprised to find the Hagoromo contingent waiting for him in the same spot he’d ambushed them before and only slightly surprised that Amane’s mother is the only one who isn’t openly wary of his intentions. The small stack of items by her feet is a little more curious, as are the items she’s holding.

Her lips quirk in amusement when he steps into view around a corner instead of dropping down from above. “Do you have a way of easily carrying larger items?”

“I do.” He acknowledges, tilting his head inquisitively. It’s rather bold of them to assume he’s willing to take anything beyond a letter back to Amane, but he finds that it rather pleases him. And since their chakra is only uneasy with wariness rather than tensed in expectation of pouncing on a moment of inattention, he pulls out the storage scroll that holds the silk for Amane as a sign that he’s not planning to attack them in return.

Kaisho nods and hands him a flat wooden box. “A grooming kit for his wings.” Another similar box. “A crafting kit designed specifically for Hagoromo feathers.” A long, slim, flat, cloth wrapped package. “Family feathers.” A stack of neatly folded missives tied together. “Letters from us.”

Silently, he puts them in the scroll. He appreciates that she’s telling him what they are, though it really isn’t necessary.

The tallest of the three neat bundles at her feet. “Some daily wear and a couple sleep yukatas, though they’ll have to be altered if he wants to use them with his wings out.” The smallest package. “A set of spare armor. If you will allow it.”

He lifts a brow and adds it to the scroll. With that thinness it must only be cloth, mesh and feathers, not the heavier battle armor.

She looks relieved and hands him the last, nearly as tall as the first of the three and twice as long. “A few bolts of cloth for him to make a nicer outfit or two with.”

“I’m sure he’ll appreciate not having to wear my spare clothing.” He says politely, though he’s fairly sure that Amane _doesn’t mind_ wearing his clothes. If it hurts his pride the slightest bit that Amane’s mother thinks he can’t provide for his omega, that’s his business, not theirs.

~

Amane is startled when Mashiro tosses a storage scroll at him upon his return. “The silk is from me, the rest is from your mother.”

_Silk!?_

There’s a truly shocking number of packages that tumble out of the storage scroll along with two _very nice_ bolts of silk dominated by feather patterns. _That’s…sweet_. And far, far beyond any expectations that Amane would ever have presumed to have. He spends a few minutes staring at them, overwhelmed by the gesture.

After a bit, he carefully sets them aside and starts to sort through the packages from his mother, immediately setting the letters aside with the silk to read later.

The smallest package has him choking up again when he opens it. Inside are feathers from his mother and father and even one from Kirato. He never expected to have these pieces of his family in his hands again.

The two wooden boxes are respectively his mother’s spare grooming kit and surprisingly, a crafting kit that he recognizes as being Hanesawa’s prized kit. Given that Hanesawa has repeatedly refused to sell even her back up crafting kits, it’s a strong statement indeed. He traces his fingers over the wood of the box for a moment before opening the next, which turns out to be his mother’s formal court armor, layers of mesh and feathers woven together to create colorful gleaming armor tougher than steel plate and far more flexible. It’s a remarkable gift and one he’s shocked that Mashiro has allowed, though he’ll have to request armor cloth to create inserts to widen it enough for him to fit into. The feathers in it are from both parents, the pattern showy by design, his father having made it for her to impress noble clients with.

It smells like them, mostly his mother but still a little like his father, and he holds it close, sniffling into it a few times before getting ahold of himself and setting it, too, aside.

Opening the last two packages, he finds badly needed clothing and more bolts of cloth. Most of them are fine cotton in various colors with the subdued patterns he generally prefers, and the last is a fine grey silk with a subtle wave pattern woven into it.

With all the fabric taken into account, he has enough for at least two formal kimonos with hadajuban and nagajuban, obi and haori. Most likely with some left over for other purposes, maybe even hakama. As well as enough for several informal kimonos or nice yukatas. Between the gifted clothing and the gifted cloth, it feels like he has a plethora of options compared to wearing whatever Mashiro tosses his way to wear in the morning, which he has been limited to until now. Which was and still is a _large_ improvement over the shredded beyond repair remnants of garments he’d been wearing in captivity.

Mashiro takes the bolt of grey silk out of his arms and sets it aside. “Alright, no crying on the silk. Come here.”

In his alpha’s arms is always a good place to cry, so he goes willingly. At least this time it’s happy tears, not heat-induced sobbing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Koyuki (狐 (ko) meaning "fox", 雪 (Yuki) meaning "Snow") Uchiha – Made up name. Part of the main family, but not one of the heirs.
> 
> Hanesawa (羽 (hane) meaning "feather, wing, plume", 沢 (taku, sawa, uruo.i, uruo.su, tsuya) meaning "swamp, marsh, brilliance, grace") Hagoromo – A ninja, but her hobby of feathercraft is top of the line, with others in the clan envying her crafting kit and sometimes hiring her to make items.
> 
> Meanwhile, Mashiro has no clue what Koyuki means and totally thinks it’s normal to buy one’s omega nice things, no matter the level of affection between them. Current level of emotion towards Amane is slightly fond, with a certainty that Amane won’t act against him or his clan.  
> The silk Mashiro bought:  
> Grey with delicately done small brown feathers all over it.  
> A matte black, with much bolder, more abstract, large feather-like patterns in med-dark blue.
> 
> Kimono range in variation from extremely formal to very casual. The formality of a woman's kimono is determined mostly by pattern placement, decoration style, fabric choice and color. The formality of men's kimono is determined more by fabric choice and coordination elements (hakama, haori, etc.) than decoration, as men's kimono tend to be one color with motifs only visible when looked at closely.  
> In both cases, formality is also determined by the number and type of kamon (crests). Five crests (itsutsu mon) are the most formal, three crests (mitsu mon) are mid-formality, and one crest (hitotsu mon) is the least formal, used for occasions such as tea ceremony.  
> The type of crest adds formality as well. A "full sun" (hinata) crest, where the design is outlined and filled in with white, is the most formal type. A "mid-shadow" (nakakage) crest is mid-formality, with only the outline of the crest visible in white. A "shadow" (kage) crest is the least formal, with the outline of the crest relatively faint. Shadow crests may be embroidered onto the kimono, and full-embroidery crests, called nui mon, are also seen.  
> Formality can also be determined by the type and color of accessories, such as weave of obijime and the style of obiage.  
>  **Again, as with names in this AU, secondary gender blurs the line of men's vs women's styles.**
> 
>  _Hadajuban_ (肌襦袢)  
> A thin garment similar to a _nagajuban_ ; it is considered to be "kimono underwear", worn in direct contact with the skin, and has tube-shaped sleeves. It is worn with a slip-like wrap tied around the waist, with the _nagajuban_ worn on top.
> 
>  _Nagajuban_ (長襦袢, lit., "long underwear")  
> A long under-kimono worn by both men and women beneath the main outer garment. Since silk kimono are delicate and difficult to clean, the _nagajuban_ helps to keep the outer kimono clean by preventing contact with the wearer's skin. Only the collar edge of the _nagajuban_ shows from beneath the outer kimono. Many _nagajuban_ have removable collars, to allow them to be changed to match the outer garment, and to be easily washed without washing the entire garment. They are often as beautifully ornate and patterned as the outer kimono. Since men's kimono are usually fairly subdued in pattern and color, the _nagajuban_ allows for discreetly wearing very striking designs and colors.
> 
>  _Haori_ (羽織)  
> A hip- or thigh-length kimono-like overcoat with straight, rather than overlapping, lapels. _Haori_ were originally worn by men until they were popularized as women's wear as well by geisha in the Meiji period. The _jinbaori_ (陣羽織) was specifically made for armored samurai to wear.
> 
> An **_obi_** (Japanese: 帯) is a sash for traditional Japanese dress, _keikogi_ (uniforms for Japanese martial arts), and part of _kimono_ outfits. The _obi_ for men's kimono is rather narrow, 10 centimeters (3.9 in) wide at most, but a woman's formal _obi_ can be 30 centimeters (12 in) wide and more than 4 meters (13 ft) long. _Obi_ are categorized by their design, formality, material, and use. Informal _obi_ are narrower and shorter.
> 
>  _Hakama_ (袴)  
>  A divided ( _umanori-bakama_ ) or undivided skirt ( _andon-bakama_ ) which resembles a wide pair of trousers. _Hakama_ were historically worn by both men and women, and in modern day can be worn to a variety of formal or informal events. A _hakama_ is typically pleated at the waist and fastened by waist ties over the _obi_. For women, shorter kimono may be worn underneath the _hakama_ for ease of movement.  
>  _Hakama_ are worn in several _budō_ arts such as _aikido_ , _kendo_ , _iaidō_ and _naginata_. They are also worn by _Miko_ in Shintō shrines.


	4. All the Letters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Literally just Amane opening and reading letters.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blame for the latter half of the chapter being the rest of the letters goes to SectorDweller.

Amane opens his mother’s letter first.

_My dear son,_

_Your alpha tells me that you are doing well enough given the circumstances, though your injuries restrict you to mostly civilian tasks. He seems quite…oblivious and seems to care for you. Which is as much as I can reasonably ask in this situation. You should, perhaps, inform him of the meaning of what he is wearing.  
The remains of your cousins and brothers have been retrieved and given proper rites already, as of several weeks ago, when rumors of the Ito clan’s destruction first reached us. The survivors had removed the dead and burned them before leaving for elsewhere, but they didn’t bother cleaning and the evidence of carnage was quite impressive. I suspect that your alpha hunted down every chakra user in the clan before dispatching them.  
The news that the White Oni can activate our kekkai genkai against our wishes is deeply concerning, but as long as he does not take to hunting our clan down for that purpose, I shall keep it to myself.  
As you might guess, your father did not take the news well. However, he has been doing much better since the funeral. Oto had been pregnant without her knowledge and went into labor at the funeral. You now have a small niece named Yuua. Both mother and daughter are healthy and thriving, despite the unorthodox start.  
If your alpha will allow it, I will send you my ‘special clients’ armor, though I doubt he will. If he does, do not concern yourself. Your father can make me a new one and it will give him something to occupy his time when he is not doting over Yuua. I do not have a spare on me, so I will be sending you my missions kit; your father will not be upset when he learns why I’ve parted with it. I will be sending what feathers I have on me. Before you fuss, remember I have more at home._

_My love,  
KH_

A niece! And one who takes more after her mother’s coloration than her father’s, going by her name, though down color _can_ be misleading. Knowing his brother, Kirato is probably busy bragging about his adorable daughter to everyone in the Pure Lands. A smirk tugs at his lips and for the first time in months, the thought of his brother brings amusement rather than deep pain.

He opens the next letter with humor glinting in his eyes.

_Yo Rainy,_

_Glad to hear you’re alive and not still being tortured. Your mother stole everyone’s shopping money to buy you stuff, so you’d better appreciate it. My mother and sister are going to murder me when we get back because they sent me with **lists** and I only managed to get a small portion of either list before your mom stole my funds. By the way, your alpha is a scary fucker who almost gave us all heart attacks when he dropped down out of nowhere. Sure is grumpy looking. Does he only smile when he’s fighting? And did you know you have a niece? No one knew she was pregnant and then Oto just up and gave birth during the funeral. We thought someone had poisoned her at first. Anyways, Hanesawa’s demanding the ink, so I’m gonna stop here, before I get bitten by a rabid bi- _ _͝͝͝͝_ _҈҈҉҈҉ Fuck! Can’t believe that fucking viper actually bit me. Gotta bandage it. Stay well._

_Shieru_

Amane chuckles, rubbing a thumb over the ink blotches mixed with bloodstains. Shieru should know better than to say something like that with the person in question hovering over them. Though Hanesawa must’ve been in a particularly snappy mood to actually _bite_ his mother’s squad mate. She’s fierce, but not usually _vicious_.

He shuffles through the other four letters to find Hanesawa’s.

_Amane,_

_Your mother offered to pay three times the value of my crafting kit, but it’s just a mission kit and it’s not like I haven’t lost them before so I won’t make her pay me back. You’d better make good use of it.  
That handsome alpha of yours looks bad tempered, but at least he was respectful to your mother. Kirato’s Oto hatched out a female chick. Skinny as a rail and tiny, but healthy. Her wings have pale orange fuzz and her head has blondish brown fuzz. Got a good set of lungs on her though. Your dad pretty much only lets Oto have her when she needs to nurse. I’m fairly sure Oto’s going to let him raise her once the girl is weaned and go back to missions. Ridiculous woman. At least it does your dad good.  
Check under the lining of the kit. But only take them out if you won’t get in trouble for it._

_Hanesawa_

Brows raised, he checks and finds three thin-bladed, hiltless lightweight throwing knives. They’re obviously intended more for startling an enemy than doing serious damage, but he can appreciate the gall it took to risk smuggling them to him. As well as the cautionary warning. Though, actually, he intends to hand them over to Mashiro. The edge they could give him isn’t worth the potential loss of trust if they are found. He can as well throw a handful of dust in someone’s eyes as lob a knife at them.

Eyeing the remaining letters, he decides to read the unmarked one next.

 _~~Crybab-~~ _ _Brat,_

_You probably know what I’d like to say, but taicho would kick my ass if I did, so I won’t. Good on you for managing to snag a cushy spot with an alpha who looks like he’ll pamper you silly. Could’ve settled on one who isn’t a **clan enemy** , but I guess there’s no accounting for taste. And good job on staying alive. It would’ve sucked to see taicho cry over her precious baby._

_Neon_

Amane grimaces. Of course it would be his luck that Neon of all people was picked to be temporarily on his mother’s squad. The man despises him, thinks him weak and manipulative, and the only truly surprising thing about the letter is that he bothered toning down the spite. He’ll enjoy burning this particular waste of paper and ink.

He crumples it and tosses it over his shoulder in annoyance before opening the next to last letter.

_Amane-kun,_

_I see now why your father always sends a scroll longer than my arm as his shopping list for your mother. She is **terrible** at picking fabrics and clothing. Not to worry, I took over once I realized. She did pick the grey silk, surprisingly enough, said you’d like it. I hope that’s true for your sake, but it’s unobjectionable, so I allowed it.  
Since you’re probably restricted from outside information at the moment, I’ll share a few things I heard. The Surizā and the Kumonosu murdered each other. Apparently over the favor of a noble’s daughter. Rumor has it that the noble was paid to set it up. The Kumonosu won but for naught as one of the Surizā’s allies decided they were too great a threat and cleaned out the survivors.  
A quieter rumor is that the Todana were attacked by an unknown party and the very few survivors (an old man and two girls) are joining the older girl’s maternal side civilian clan for protection. Although both girls apparently have chakra and training with their bloodline skill, it’s very unlikely that the bloodline gift will pass down more than another generation or two at most, particularly with the older girl’s line as she is only halfblooded to begin with. It is believed that only some quirk of compounded bloodline inheritance causes the unique mindset that has the skill to use their jutsus effectively. A much weaker thing than what our clan has.  
With that last in mind, I have included a recipe for a tisane to prevent conception. It should be consumed daily to be effective, but it does occasionally fail. In that case, I wish you luck, because I am not willing to convey something as dangerous to your no-doubt compromised health as an abortifacient.  
But returning to the subject of outside news, the Niji clan has apparently lost half its numbers to a freak mudslide and the survivors are planning to relocate to a safer spot. Considering their well-known fondness of mountain cliffs at their back, safer is subjective, but that’s their concern.  
I must say, you have done well to survive the Ito and gain a protector in the White Oni. He is a fearsome man and your mother is refusing to take me along for the meetup to pass things for you to him, even though the spot is in the heart of the market. I can’t rightly argue that, as I would be a liability if things turned nasty, despite my own training. If you have not heard, the remnants of the Ito clan fled and became civilians. It appears your man **really** hates kekkai genkai hunters, because the others are convinced that he alone destroyed the Ito and your mother is hardly one to misstate such things. It was her squad and another under her command who retrieved the bodies of our kin.  
I would write more, but I am running out of paper and still need to write that recipe._

_Kaemi_

Gossip is…not exactly what he was expecting. But then, Kaemi isn’t exactly usual either. She began her career as a ninja, only to retire after a couple years when she decided that she enjoyed shopping for ninjas far more than she enjoyed proper missions. She has a reputation for being extremely good at it. Which she should, given that she’s the clan buyer for those who cannot travel safely to markets themselves and have no one else to buy for them, as well as stocking clan stores of clothing and other goods. The only clan buying that she doesn’t oversee is the main stores of rice and barley, and she’s even done that a couple times, from what Amane has heard.

She is a motherly sort and Amane has had a good impression of her the few times that they’ve interacted. And she has a point about his father’s meticulously detailed shopping lists for his perpetually clueless-about-choosing-goods mother. More than once, he’s seen his mother actually hand the list to a vendor and ask if what they’re selling matches the description correctly. Fortunately she has a good eye for telling when someone is lying to her and isn’t terrible at bargaining. He has to admit that the information is at least interesting, and the recipe is quite welcome.

_Amane-kun,_

_Glad to hear you’re alive and well. Though knowing you, you’re leaving out a bunch of shit that you’ve suffered through so as to not worry Kaisho. I’ll trust your judgement on the White Oni, but I’m including a lube recipe in case your stoic self actually needs it. Stay well, brat._

_Nobutaka_

Amane blinks, rereads and then flushes in embarrassment. He did _not_ need his mother’s squad mate taking an interest in his sex life, even if including the recipe is sweet of him.

A moment later, he startles as Mashiro steps into the bedroom.

His alpha pauses and scoops up the crumpled letter, smoothing it enough to read. Mashiro frowns as he reads and finally asks in an irritated tone, “Why does everyone think I’m pampering you? It’s common practice to take care of one’s omega properly. If I was pampering you, you’d _know_ it.”

“I’m sure I would.” He agrees mildly, well aware that Mashiro allows him freedoms that one normally wouldn’t _dream_ of allowing someone from an enemy clan. In other circumstances, the attitude would be a serious vulnerability, but nonetheless he is grateful for it. “I’m planning on using that one as tinder for the stove anyways.”

Mashiro gives the letter another scornful look, lip curling up in disdain. “I can see why. Fools are never worth listening to.”

“No one sends you to negotiate terms, do they?” He asks in amusement. Truly, the only thing subtle about his alpha is his chakra control.

“Not unless they want me to terrify them into submission.” Mashiro agrees, blinking at him in open puzzlement over why he’s asking a question with such an evident answer and obviously not offended in the least.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kaemi (翔 (ka) meaning "soar, fly", 恵 (e) meaning "favour, benefit", 実 (mi) meaning "fruit, good result, truth") - Clan buyer. Nice lady.  
> Neon (羽 (ne) meaning "feathers", 音 (on) meaning "sound") - A malicious asshole and doesn’t get along with Amane at all, though he respects Kaisho, whose team he is temporarily on as extra protection for Kaemi’s shopping trip.  
> Nobutaka (暢 (nobu) meaning "stretch", 考 (taka) meaning "consider, think over") - One of Kaisho’s squad mates. Nice guy if sometimes mortifyingly blunt.
> 
> 戸棚 Todana (attack by ?) – ‘Cabinet’ clan. A chakra using clan of famous woodworkers. Considered ninjas, but more focused on selling crafted items than taking regular missions. The few survivors are being absorbed into a civilian clan.  
> 虹 Niji (mudslide) – ‘Rainbow’ clan. Ninjas who prefer having their clan compound backed up against a mountain or cliffs. Light based genjutsu are their specialty.
> 
> The rumors about clans being destroyed is pretty much my main nod to Zetsu working in the background to rid the world of as many clans as possible (canon) and my suspicion that he mainly targeted clans with kekkai genkai. Though of course some of them, such as the Ito and the Niji, are due to other things and not the result of Zetsu's work. Let's just say that some of the more talented Todana had the capability of creating items with sealing or dimension sealing properties, thus Zetsu considered them more of a threat than the more openly dangerous Surizā and Kumonosu abilities. Just imagine, the fourth war aborted because black Zetsu got trapped for eternity in a tiny sliding drawer of a small, portable cabinet. Ooops~ Needless to say, Zetsu isn't sanguine about the possibility.


	5. Prisoner and Funeral

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amane gets tasked with 'watching' a temporary prisoner. Mashiro is amused. Amane attends a funeral.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the short chapter this time. There was supposed to be another scene, but it's not writing and it's been a while since I posted one. So I figured I'd post what I have rather than make you wait longer.  
> Not edited. Feel free to point out typos or anything that doesn't make sense. I'm also open to suggestions for scenes on this fic.

Rinjirou Hojo eyes his minder skeptically. Even bearing in mind the chakra seal on him, they’ve left him unbound under the care of a _cripple_? Granted, the Hojo and Senju are currently neutral to each other and they’re just planning to ransom him back after getting caught trespassing by way of cutting through Senju lands instead of going around, but still.

“I can’t decide. Is it a show of trust to leave me under the care of a cripple or an insult implying I’d have any trouble overpowering you?”

The Senju omega blinks up at him, pausing in sorting lentils. “I would say neither. Most likely you’ve been placed under the auspices of my alpha. And you might have more trouble overpowering me than you’d like, cripple or no.”

The carefully unoffended tone makes Rinjirou wince. “Oh?”

“My alpha is Mashiro Senju. I do not suggest that you run away. You may regret it.”

Rinjirou twitches at that. The infamous alpha is one bastard he doesn’t want on his trail _ever_. Being able to form scale armor as protection is a lot less useful when the opponent uses sheer blunt force and has no qualms at all about going for vital hits. He prefers his brain _in_ his head, thank you very much. Feeling irritable, he moves so he’s looming over the omega, just to be annoying.

Surprisingly, the other omega doesn’t say anything about it or get twitchy, which is a total disappointment.

“How come the White Oni mated a cripple?”

“He rescued me.” The other omega replies placidly.

“Couldn’t get himself an omega any other way, huh?”

The omega stiffens and a couple seconds later a stiff blow from behind against his thighs sends him sprawling off the engawa to land on his face.

“Ouch! What the fuck?” He picks himself up and turns to glare at the other omega, uncertain as to how he’d managed the blow or if someone else had come up unnoticed behind him. His eyes widen as he spots the brownish wings being neatly settled behind the omega, who smiles sweetly at him. “You’re a Hagoromo!?”

“I am Amane Senju. You will _not_ speak badly of my alpha.” The sweet smile is backed with extremely targeted killing intent.

He sputters. “How the hell? Why are you even alive? Aren’t the Hagoromo and Senju bitter enemies?”

“They are.” Amane agrees and lets his wings fade out of existence. “As for why, I could not say.”

 _Probably a pervert_ , Rinjirou decides, but has the sense not to say. “Aren’t you afraid I’m going to steal your feathers?”

Amane eyes him for a moment, then laughs. “Supposing you did and made it back to your clan unscathed. Do you really hate your clan _that_ much?”

That makes _no sense_. Even the White Oni isn’t a threat to an entire _clan_. And the Senju as a whole certainly won’t go to war over a captured Hagoromo omega. “What _are_ you talking about?”

Amusement drops off Amane’s face and he studies him for a moment before saying, “He rescued me from the Ito clan. I’m fairly certain rumors of the aftermath must have spread by now.”

Rinjirou blanches.

It does explain why the other omega is crippled.

The Ito weren’t a terribly strong clan, just barely strong enough to ward off pissed off parties of clans they’d stolen folks from to steal their kekkai genkais for profit. Strong enough to take a squad or two off guard and kill them. Not that anyone had known for _sure_ that they were until the rumors had come out. But _now_ there are less than twenty of them, over half of them kids, and the most trained of them has about the same skill level as that of a civilian bandit and far less experience. He gives it another generation, maybe two before they cease being a clan altogether, going civilian as they have. Seeing kekkai genkai thieves destroyed isn’t something that saddens anyone, but wiping out most of a clan is still no light thing.

“Who was with him?”

“With him?” Amane looks puzzled for a moment before blinking. “Oh, no. It was just him. I think he may have been bored, to be honest.”

“Oh.” _Oh._ That puts Amane’s question about hating his clan into unfortunate perspective. If he could do _that_ to the Ito with so little reason, what would he do to the Hojo if he _had_ motivation? Say like…avenging his omega.

 _Well that’s boring. Now he has fewer reasons to try to escape than to wait patiently with absolutely nothing to do. How demeaning_.

~

Mashiro comes home to find a strange omega apparently trying to pry a cooking pot off of his hand. “What the…?” _Though, really, his question should really be ‘Where’s my omega?’_

“To be fair, I did warn him he shouldn’t touch the glue or anything else.” Amane says, coming out of the bedroom with a craft knife and a jar of something he doesn’t recognize, looking more amused than anything.

“Glue?”

“Feather repair glue.” Amane elaborates and Mashiro’s mouth twitches in reciprocal amusement.

He _may_ have used the stuff at one point to glue his Clan head’s favorite chair to the wall in the clan meeting hall after Amane explained how strong it is. They’ve yet to get the chair parted from the wall, despite a number of attempts. “Is that a numbing cream or a solvent?”

“A bit of both, really. Though, if you’ll use your chakra scalpels to part him from the pot without injury, the knife won’t be necessary.”

“Who is he?”

“A Hojo. They didn’t tell you?”

“They did not.” He has a pretty good idea that ‘they’ consists of his _dear_ Clan head. “Has he behaved himself other than _that_ idiocy?”

“He hasn’t given me any trouble.” Amane demurs. _Which, knowing him, means that the Hojo has probably been rude as fuck instead of physically a problem._

Mashiro stares at him for a long moment, then turns and grabs the Hojo’s wrist. “Stop that and hold still.”

The man squawks but obediently freezes.

It’s a matter of a couple minutes to break the bond between skin and metal, but it might not be possible for someone with rougher chakra control. And he’s _definitely_ not going to admit to his Clan head that he knows how to do it now. The chair can _stay_ stuck to the wall as far as he’s concerned.

“There. Now find a spot out of the way and quit acting like a child.”

The Hojo looks offended, but retreats to a corner without protest.

Amane blinks a few times, then takes the solvent to the layer of glue left on the pot. Capping it while he lets the solvent work, he takes the jar and knife back to their room.

“Hey! What about me!?” The Hojo squawks in offense, the slight of being overlooked apparently enough to overcome his wariness of provoking Mashiro.

Pausing at the doorway, Amane gives the man a deeply unimpressed stare. “It’ll wear off in a few weeks at most. In the meantime, it’ll remind you not to be an idiot with no more common sense than a three year old.”

 _Oh. Ouch_. Amane does calmly pissed very well. He’s glad it’s not him on the receiving end.

On the other hand, the sight of a grown man quietly panicking over a pot stuck to his hand is a memory he’ll laugh at for years to come.

~

The Senju have had a big war contract for several months now, with people coming and going, rotating in and out of the fighting at need. Even Mashiro has been gone for the last couple months. This is certainly not the only funeral that has resulted, but it’s the first one Amane has attended. The first one where he knew the deceased to any degree.

It is odd. The Senju don’t burn their dead, they bury them.

That’s not _quite_ anathema to the Hagoromo, but it’s close. Then again, the Senju don’t usually have to worry about grave robbers looking for feathers.

Still. It makes him uncomfortable: The lack of stench of burning flesh and token feathers. The tears and tight expressions without a murmur of small prayers, well wishes and memories. The heavy grief that hangs like oppression and has no true outlet. The funeral prayers and summary of the man’s life given solely by the officiating priest.

He can’t do anything about that and the eerie _wrongness_ of it all, but he _can_ send his own well wishes after the man, who had been relatively kind to him, a captured enemy come to live among them. Fire jutsus are not something he excels at, but even he can light a fire or set a feather on fire.

It does not take long for the nearest Senju to notice the scent and turn to hiss at him, “ _What_ are you _doing_!?”

Amane tilts his head, then shrugs. He can hardly help it if others take offense, after all. “Sending my well wishes with him to the afterlife. I mean no harm.”

By now, several Senju are staring at him.

His answer makes the questioner pause. “So this is some Hagoromo funeral rite?”

“Yes? We burn our dead because of kekkai genkai hunters. So we burn a piece of ourselves to send our thoughts along with them to the Pure Lands. Hair would work as well, I suppose? But feathers are…more intimate. It’s easier to send our true thoughts with a feather from our own wings.” Explaining is a little more difficult than he thinks it should be, but he manages well enough, he thinks.

“Why would you bother? For a Senju?” Someone else asks sharply.

 _Well, that’s annoying, if not unexpected._ “The Senju are also my clan now. And I liked him well enough. Why would I not?”

Previously unnoticed tension around him relaxes and people return their attention to the priest. _Apparently that was the right answer to the question, then?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rinjirou Hojo- He’s an omega son of the main family and as such, quickly ransomed back. It’s a low ransom because the Senju are basically giving the Hojo a slap on the wrist for his trespassing. Someone’s being a passive aggressive little shit by making Amane babysit him, but the likelihood of him actually attacking is judged to be fairly low to begin with, since their clans aren’t actively at odds.
> 
> Hojo clan- The Hojo have a kekkai genkai of being able to form thickened hide type scales from their skin at need. They’re basically human-shaped tanks, since the scales can withstand most swords. That does not make them invulnerable, since as Rinjirou pointed out an enemy could simply go after their heads or can simply get the drop on them before they have the chance to activate their kekkai genkai, which takes a few seconds to do in full. The Hagoromo and Hojo are about equal in strength, both are stronger by a fair bit than the Ito. In general, the two clans find each other’s kekkai genkai a pain in the ass to counteract in a fight, so they mostly avoid fighting when they can.  
> The clan has a Yang affinity due to their kekkai genkai and generally run to an Earth affinity as well. While a transformation type like the Hagoromos’, it works a bit differently and the body slowly reverts after death. This makes gaining their scales _much_ harder for kekkai genkai hunters to get, since they have to be removed while the victim is still alive and it’s difficult to get more than a couple before the subject dies from bloodloss. Currently neutral to the Senju, as well as the Hagoromo, though there have been squabbles in the past.
> 
> I should probably clarify a little on why the Hagoromo didn’t try a rescue for Amane and his squad. The Hagoromo suspected the Ito but didn’t actually have enough proof to risk a full out war party on suspicion. If they were _wrong_ , it would seriously damage their reputation and put the clan at risk from other quarters. If a clan has ‘bad judgement’ and has just weakened itself with a war, you can imagine what kind of folks would see it as an opportunity.   
> Mashiro learned it was the Ito because he was annoyed and bored and dealt with it by sniffing out a bunch of black market rumors that most folks don’t really want to share openly if they know in the first place.   
> The Ito _did_ say it was the work of one person, but refused to name names, because they’re terrified of word getting back to Mashiro and him deciding to come finish them off. There’s a bunch of weird rumors floating around at this point, including the truth, but pretty much no one believes _that_ rumor.  
> They have actually been relegated to the ‘uninteresting’ pile in Mashiro’s head now, to their fortune. Incidentally, not all of the Ito kids were spared. Mashiro _isn’t_ nice and he’s perfectly fine going after kids. The ones he came across died, but he didn’t go after the noncombatants who stayed out of his way. He _did_ go after any potential combatant who tried to avoid him, and a fair number of noncombatants got killed in the process.


End file.
